Fate

Fate appears as one of this author's most popular themes. The protagonist gets into and out of sticky situations through random occurrences and other various accidents. For instance, Daisy only meets Steve Crow because Frank Menken breaks his leg and cannot continue his traffic-reporting job for a short time. It is also a freak accident that causes Daisy to aid in apprehending the Roach. These two incidents set in motion the two main plots of the novel.

Likewise, fate brings about resolution to the novel. Elsie only spots her car at McDonald's because Steve burned dinner on the grill and they go out to eat as a backup plan. Much of Elsie's success, in fact, occurs through fate or luck. She finds herself in the right place at the right time. This gives Elsie a great deal of confidence in herself; she fails to notice that the success...